American developer extraordinaire, Donald Trump has now become a major mover in Ayrshire.
The Donald flew into Glasgow today to announce that he ‘got’ Prestwick. His people had told him that the folk at Prestwick were really passionate about their airport and now that he’d seen it for himself, he ‘got’ it.
He said his organisation w0uld be investing around £250 million in Turnberry to make it the best resort in the world – and that he needed an airport for Turnberry. This ‘need’ is not only for himself but for users of Turnberry. Trump himself and his staff will be using Prestwick from now on for jet flights in and out on Turnberry business and for onward helicopter flights up to the newly created Trump golf courses at Balmenie in Aberdeenshire.
Trump is looking for some kind of partnership between Turnberry and Prestwick. This means that he will want to see Scottish Government financial input into developing Prestwick to suit his needs; while he will bring in the business the airport badly needs.
He said he would be bringing in ‘high level planes’ from New York and other places. These ‘high level planes’ didn’t mean space travel, though- but planesfulls of high net worth golfers.
There is a logic to Trump looking for a partnership development of Turnberry-Prestwick.
A smart, efficient and elite airport at Prestwick, dedicated to the golf tourism market, would be a serious service to the Ayrshire golf courses.
Moreover, such a specialist market could open up the development of ancillary businesses in, for example, an internal dedicated flight network out of Prestwick to Campbeltown, Islay, Benbecula, Inverness and Aberdeen – places within easy range of very special and unusual golf courses.
At this rate of going, it could be gracious – as well as smart business – to let Trump have the uninterrupted views of the North Sea he wants from his golf courses at Balmenie, north of Aberdeen.
This initiative at Prestwick could be a game changer for and well beyond Ayrshire.
And the Scottish Government clearly knew all about it in advance.
It explains, as For Argyll had suggested two days ago that this sort of development might, why the Prestwick Board [with the state owner's approval, if not its prompting], abruptly terminated the leases of Greer Aviation and Landmark Aviation, both ground handling businesses. This left the in-house ground handling setup the sole provider of such services at Prestwick.
This operation clearly was indeed, as an experienced businessman we spoke to floated, clearing the ground for upcoming business deals for the use of Prestwick.
